


The "Cold" of Winter

by Widow_Spyder



Series: Whumptober 2019 (Anime) [13]
Category: Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Angst, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Sick Character, Sickfic, Whumptober 2019, a little bit of, prompt #29
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-08 04:18:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21229688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Widow_Spyder/pseuds/Widow_Spyder
Summary: Gen hadn’t even opened his eyes, yet he knew something was off. He hated to admit it. Didn’t even want to believe it, but he may have been coming down with a cold.





	1. Chapter 1

Waking up, knowing something was wrong was one of the worst feelings in the world. Gen hadn’t even opened his eyes, yet he knew something was off. He hated to admit it. Didn’t even want to believe it, but he may have been coming down with a cold. His pride, however, refused to acknowledge that and made him get up and go about his day as if nothing was wrong. 

Gen knew, of course. There were two obvious signs. 

The first was the dryness that plagued his throat. No matter how much he tried, it wouldn’t go away and instead became worse throughout the day. He had never been so thankful for his voice mimicry skills. For some reason, he didn’t know; he didn’t want the others to know he was ill. 

The second sign was the heat that clung to him despite the snow falling around them. The cold air was like heaven when it blew across his hot skin, and it took a surreal amount of effort not to sigh in relief. He ended up wearing fewer layers to feel more of the blessed coolness. That was his first mistake. His next mistake came when his fever addled mind decided to leave the comforts of his hut and go for a walk alone in the forest. 

He hadn’t even walked that far before his legs were crumbling beneath him, and he was falling face-first into the snow. The cold hit him hard as if tiny needles were poking his skin through his now damp clothes. 

_Very very bad._ Gen thought. His body felt like mush, and even if he tried, he knew moving right now would be impossible. He needed to catch his breath and then continue. Speaking of which, when had he lost his breath? He couldn’t remember anymore. Gen waited for a while, silently listening to the breeze flowing through the trees above. 

He felt numb as the snow encased his body. Distantly, he knew this wasn’t good. The snow was gently falling and covering him, bit by bit. 

After what felt like a while, Gen started to feel peaceful. It was quiet and strangely comfortable. The cold wasn’t stabbing him with ice picks anymore. 

He knew he was getting worse. He needed to get up and head back to the village as fast as possible, but that thought slowly melted away in his brain as he felt his eyelids droop. He was tired. _A small nap wouldn’t hurt,_ he thought. _Since he’s sick, he should rest, right?_

_“Gen!”_

His eyes were closed already anyway as the lull of nature swept him away.

————————

Coming back to awareness was a nightmare in itself. His limbs felt heavy as he tried to move them, and his head felt like mush. There was movement next to him, but he could only hear it. He heard some shuffling, a chair moving, and what sounded like an exasperated sigh. He still couldn’t move.

Things could be worse, he thought. At least he was warm… Then something freezing was on his forehead, and he decided it was time to move. 

Starting slow, he twitched his fingers and found one of them encased by something. He managed to shift and close his hand around it, which earned him a startled call of his name. 

Prying his eyes open was difficult, but he was able to get them half open and see Senku above, smiling in relief. Ice wrapped in a cloth was removed from his forehead, and Gen was able to open his eyes completely. He was in the bed that he and Senku shared in their small hut. There were multiple chairs added into the room, including the one that Senku was sat in. 

“So, the mentalist finally wakes up then?” Senku laughed a little, though it sounded strained. 

_Finally? What was that supposed to mean?_ His last memory was falling asleep — in the snow… 

Gen cursed at the stupid mistake. Or at least he tried to. All that came out was a rough groan and a bit of coughing when he realized his throat was dry again. 

Senku gripped his shoulders and helped him up a little. “Easy, hold on.” He said, leaning him against the headboard of the bed and slowly tipping a glass of water into his mouth. 

When he was done, Senku tried to get him to lie down again, but Gen shook off his efforts and remained upright. Senku sighed and grabbed an extra blanket off his chair and wrapped it around his shoulders. 

Senku looked as exhausted as he felt. Dark bags were under his eyes, and from the hand that was clenching his own, he was also shaking. 

“You look tired, Senku,” Gen stated. He was glad his voice was still relatively normal. 

Senku crossed his arms. “Hah, that’s because I’ve been up all this time taking care of your dumbass.” 

“Hey ~ you’re not allowed to be cruel to the sick man, Senku-chan.” Gen intended it as a joke, but somehow, the air in the room got tenser. 

Senku hadn’t responded either; instead, he was looking down at the blanket covering his legs as if it held the scientific answer to everything. 

Gen gulped. “What happened.” 

“Ryusui found you collapsed in the snow.” Senku’s tone took a more somber tone. “Apparently, he was going on a hike to find good hills to ski off when he found you instead.” 

Gen wasn’t surprised as he should have been. He did remember hearing someone call his name before he slipped unconscious. His response left him without even thinking about it. “Oh.” 

“Oh,” Senku mocked. He stood up, and Gen could practically feel the anger radiating off him. “Oh, is what he says.” 

“I’m sorry,” Gen mumbled before flinching when Senku suddenly punched the wall. 

“I don’t want your damn apology!” Senku yelled to a shocked Gen. “Do you know how panicked we were, when Ryusui came running back with you, unconscious in his arms?! Your body was freezing, and it took us hours until we could get your temperature back up!” Senku was pacing now, his arms going back and forth in the air, wildly gesturing at nothing. “Then you wouldn’t wake up no matter how hard we tried, and your heartbeat was so slow and -” Senku stopped suddenly, looked at Gen, and took a deep breath. He started backing away towards the door. “Forget it.” 

“No, wait!” Gen yelled, trying to untangle himself from the blankets, which only served to tangle him more. He would’ve fallen off the bed if Senku hadn’t caught him and made him lean back against the headboard again. 

“I - uhh.” Gen tried but didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what to do. “Don’t leave.” He ended up muttering. 

Senku sighed and sat back down. Silence filled the air until Senku broke it first. “Sorry about that. It’s been a long few days.” 

“A few days?” Gen asked. 

“You’ve been mostly asleep for four whole days.” 

Four whole days… Which meant that while he was an unconscious idiot, Senku was staying up the entire time, keeping vigil over him. He couldn’t think of any reason why, though. Senku could’ve got someone else to do it, so why did he do the task? “Right — Mostly?”

“You woke up a few times but not for more than 6-7 minutes.” Gen gulped when he noted that Senku had timed him being conscious. “You were delirious every time, though, so it would make sense if you don’t remember any of it.” 

Truth be told, he _couldn’t_ remember any of it, and yet he felt like he should. _What did he say?_ It must’ve been something weird for Senku to state the fact that he would forget about it. 

“Temperature, Gen.” Senku interrupted his thoughts. 

“Huh?” 

Senku tapped his forehead to clarify. “Your temperature, I’m going to check it.” 

Gen nodded and leaned back, waiting for Senku to do his medical thing. What he wasn’t expecting was Senku to place his own forehead against his. 

“Wha - wait, what are you? I thought you were taking my temperature?” Gen stuttered through his surprise. 

“I am,” Senku responded as if he were talking about the weather. 

The heat was rising to his cheeks fast, and he forced his eyes up to avoid looking at the scientist centimeters away from him. 

“Are you blushing?” Senku laughed. 

Gen nearly choked before answering. “Wah - w - well, I can’t help it when you’re this close!” 

“Stop it; I can’t check your temperature like this.”

“How would I - how would I go about stopping it?”

“Use your magician tricks,” Senku said. He had to be teasing him now, and yet Gen played along with it. “This isn’t something I can make disappear in a hat, you know.” 

“Hmph.” Senku pulled away, apparently satisfied that his temperature had gone down. “Anything feel weird? Any pain?” 

“No.” It was an automatic response, but this time, it was true. He really did feel a lot better. 

Senku scowled and looked at him closely, disbelief clear as day on his face. “You’ve had the flu for five days now. Four of them you were asleep, but the first day you weren’t.” Senku sat back down and scooted his chair, impossibly closer to the bed. “You knew you were sick, yet you didn’t say anything.” 

“I know.” Gen felt a little guilty for that. He would’ve told someone if he had known it’d get this bad, but he wasn’t a prophet. He had no idea. 

“Every disease — especially in winter — can be fatal here. If we hadn’t made the cure-all for Ruri, you wouldn’t be here now.” Senku scolded. Gen pointedly stared a hole into his blanket and didn’t answer back. 

“I get it.” Senku suddenly said, making Gen look up at him in confusion. “I get why you wouldn’t tell the others, but why not me?”

“I don’t know.” And he honestly didn’t. They lived together, slept in the same bed, and he still felt uncomfortable admitting weakness. 

“Alright, then I’ll assume it’s the same reason why I didn’t tell anyone I burned my fingers in last week’s experiment besides you.” Senku cupped Gen’s cheek, and Gen leaned into it. “Gen, if you had told me, not for one millisecond would I have thought you to be weak.” 

Perhaps there were tears in his eyes, and maybe the sniffling was from the sickness. But Gen was definitely not crying. He was unconscious for four days and only woke up a few minutes ago; his emotions were not in check yet. Senku sighed and pulled Gen into his arms. He rested his head on top of Gen’s and stroked his hair with one hand and rubbed his back with the other. For a good minute, Gen was as frozen as the ice outside. Then hesitantly, he moved his arms and wrapped them around Senku, tightly holding his clothes like they were his lifeline. 

Suddenly Ryusui burst through the hut’s doors, with his usual smug smile on his face, and they separated faster than lightning. 

“Hah! I knew I heard voices, so you finally woke up, Gen?” Ryusui beamed at them as if he hadn’t just interrupted a moment of theirs. 

Gen awkwardly laughed at Senku’s groan. “Quiet down; you’re too loud.” 

“Oh apologies.” He quieted down and moved away from the door to make room. Behind him came Francois, Kohaku, Chrome, Suika, and old man Kaseki. Gen was surprised at the magnitude of people. Ryusui was obvious since he had been the one to find him, and Francois never left his side. Suika was still little, so it didn’t surprise him that much that she would visit, but Kohaku, Chrome, and Kaseki shocked him. He didn’t think they would care that much. Gen figured he would see them after he got better, but he never counted on the fact that they’d visit him. 

Here they were, though, setting down gifts for him and telling him they were glad he was better. He wondered just how panicked they had been when he was under. 

With permission, Suika jumped up onto the bed and sat opposite to him, showing him the rare flowers that bloomed during winter. The others dragged the chairs over and sat around his bed. For someone who looked exhausted, Senku was actually doing alright for himself. Had Gen not known that he had been awake for four days, he would’ve never have guessed it. 

Kaseki brought him a little music box that he had crafted after Senku told him about the wonders of songs from their old world. They played it on loop for a while, with everyone besides the modern people looking at with fascination. Chrome and Kohaku brought joint gifts of pretty rocks, and Gen laughed when he noticed Senku looking at them with that scientific gaze he had when he was interested in something. Even Taiju and Yuzuriha stopped by, giving him rough pats on the back and a warm hug before leaving on a crafting project. Once they left, Senku got up and grabbed Gen’s pack of cards off a table and brought it to the group. 

Together they all chatted and played card games for a while. Gen’s head eventually started tipping over to rest on Senku’s shoulder, and in return, Senku wrapped his arm around Gen’s waist, pulling him closer. His eyes were heavy, and he shook himself to stay awake. 

Senku shifted his head to whisper quietly to him. “It’s alright, go to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake.” 

That was all he needed to hear as Gen let himself melt into Senku’s body and fell asleep. 

Senku heard the others giggle before looking up and rolling his eyes. The others got the message well enough and got up to leave. Ryusui and Francois were the last ones left. 

“What will you do now? I hope going to bed.” Ryusui whispered as Senku carefully maneuvered Gen back down on the bed without waking him. 

“Yeah, probably.” Senku agreed. He was bone aching tired. 

“Then please make use of these pillows we had Ms. Yuzuriha make in preparation for this.” Francois suddenly stepped in with three plump pillows in her hands that she placed on the bed and even helped to move Gen into a more comfortable position on top of them. She did it with the same ease, as a day before, when Ryusui insisted that she at least change the linens on the bed for fresh ones. 

“Thanks,” Senku said, to which Francois smiled and bowed her head a little. 

“Don’t worry about it. Get some sleep, Senku. We need you rested and ready to continue the building on my magnificent ship.” Ryusui called over his shoulder as both of them left. 

As soon as the door shut, Senku laid down and tucked both him and Gen underneath the mountain of blankets they had. Gen immediately molded himself into him when he unconsciously realized there was more familiar comfort to be had. Senku chuckled before making himself comfortable. Gen would be fine. 

Eventually, Senku fell asleep to the sound of the wind blowing outside and the warmth of the mentalist beside him.


	2. The "Cold" of Winter Ch. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened during the four days Gen was unconscious?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me, some stuff in this chapter doesn't line up with the stuff that happens in the first chapter but honest to god I completely forgot what I wrote for the first chapter and didn't think to check until after I had written the second chapter. And I'm too lazy to fix it since it's so long so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Since the first snowfall of the winter, the building of the Perseus had significantly slowed down to the point where they were hardly getting anything done. The only thing they could do was build the little parts that could be done indoors since the outside was too cold. That was okay, though. With the time off, everyone in the science kingdom was able to enjoy the winter season for its true spectacle. 

Meanwhile, Senku took the time to reorganize the lab after the disaster of his experiment, the week before. He had accidentally mixed too much of one chemical into another and burned his fingers. It was a good thing that Gen had been witness to it and helped to put salve and bandages on them. 

Speaking of Gen, he hadn’t actually seen him for a while now. While that wasn’t _so_ odd, it still seemed a little strange since the mentalist preferred to stay close to him. That’s how they ended up with a shared house and a shared bed. If he was honest, Senku didn’t mind it. Gen’s company really wasn’t that bad. 

“Senku!” Ryusui’s sharp shout broke him out of his thoughts. The voice sounded panicked, which made Senku roughly burst out of the lab to find Ryusui, Francois, and Kaseki standing outside. Senku felt his heart drop to the floor. 

In Ryusui’s arms was none other than the mentalist himself, unconscious and pale. His skin looked like porcelain, and Senku could tell from where he was that his temperature was way too low. 

“What happened?” Senku ran forward and started checking vitals. Gen’s heartbeat felt like a whisper of its normal rate, and his skin felt like the ice under his feet. 

“I found him like this.” Ryusui panted. _He must’ve run back here right after._ “He was just lying there in a snowbank.” 

Senku couldn’t tell whether the swearing he could hear was coming from his mouth or his mind. “We have to get him warm now. Bring him to our hut!” Senku ordered, leading the way for the others. 

As soon as he swung the doors open, he began listing off the things they — or mainly he — was supposed to do. After Ryusui placed Gen on the bed, Senku worked to tug Gen’s wet clothes off and wrap him in an old shirt they had. It was huge on his tiny frame, but that didn’t matter. Then he ordered Ryusui and Kaseki to go and heat an iron plate while Francois volunteered to take Gen’s clothes to clean. During that time, Senku started his full medical check-up. His temperature was at 102 degrees according to their thermometer, and there was a raspiness to his breathing that made Senku’s insides twitch. He used an empty cup to check Gen’s lungs, hoping that nothing had built up to block his airways. 

At this point, he really wished he had Ukyo’s super hearing, but unfortunately, his ears just weren’t capable of that. He would’ve gotten Ukyo to do it instead, but he was in Ishigami village. Senku would have to make do with his own diagnosis. 

When he deduced that there was no fluid build-up in his lungs, he worked to get the latter warm. Ryusui and Kaseki returned with the hot plate, and Senku doused it with water to cool it down from it’s near melted form before wrapping it in a cloth and placing it underneath the blankets near Gen’s feat. Francois returned with a bowl of water and towels as well as an extra blanket that Senku added to the pile on the bed. Since there was nothing left to do, everyone left after a strong winded lecture about germs spreading from Senku. In reality, he just wanted everyone to leave so he could be alone. 

It had taken a good 5 hours before Gen’s temperature steadily rose on its own, and he started looking less pale. Senku was on the edge of his seat the entire time and didn’t even hear the door creaking open until Ryusui spoke up behind him. 

“Will he be alright?” He asked. Senku had never seen Ryusui look, _worried._ But it was only natural since he was the one to Gen out there. 

“Depends how long he was out there.” He settled on. 

Ryusui took a deep breath and edged closer to stand by him. “Is it hypothermia?”

“Among other things.” Senku patted the blankets in a useless gesture to try and hide the fact that his hands were shaking. “It looks like pneumonia settled in.” 

Ryusui’s face turned grim. “Do we have medicine for that?”

“Yeah, we do.” Of course, Ryusui wouldn’t have known they’d have the medicine; he was revived almost a year after they had made the cure. Still, Senku couldn’t help but feel annoyed at the constant questions. “I was able to transform it into a liquid and inject it into his bloodstream.” 

“And now?” 

“Now, we wait.” Senku turned back to face Ryusui for a second before ducking his head and facing Gen again. His mouth was open in an unconscious attempt to find a way to breathe better. Senku moved to take the cloth off his forehead and re-soak it. “I’ll be fine on my own,” Senku said to a frozen Ryusui. 

“Of course.” Ryusui nodded and turned, walking to the door quietly. 

The door closed, leaving Senku alone in the dull light of their hut. The minutes passed, then the hours, and eventually, the day came to an end. Senku counted every second of it. No change had been made. Gen’s fever remained, and he hadn’t woken up yet.

Senku rested his head on the edge of the bed, using his arms as a makeshift cushion. He knew without a doubt, he’d have a sore back in the morning, but he didn’t care. The sun had already set a few minutes ago, and the sky was turning dark outside. Senku found himself drifting off, despite his attempts not to. 

It didn’t feel like a long time, but suddenly something hard hit his head, effectively snapping him out of sleep. That _something_ turned out to be Gen’s leg that had gotten out of the blanket cocoon he was wrapped in. Senku wasn’t worried about the throbbing he felt in his head, though. _No,_ he was more concerned about Gen’s current state. 

Gen was thrashing from side to side, his face twisted in pain, and his breathing erratic. Senku held his hand against Gen’s forehead, finding it clammy from sweat. Senku was cursing again. His fever had spiked sometime when he was asleep. 

He tried taking Gen’s temperature with the thermometer, but a rogue hand suddenly flew out and knocked it and his arm away. The thermometer was thrown from Senku’s grasp and smashed on the floor. 

The medical analysis could wait, Senku decided. He needed to get Gen to calm down first. He climbed onto the bed and guided Gen’s head to lean against him. He started stroking his hair and patting his arm with his hand. It was difficult when Gen get kept squirming, but eventually, he calmed down and went still in his arms. Senku sighed and looked out the window. It was morning now, according to the rising sun. While he didn’t want to move, he had to clean up the mess on the floor before it became a hazard. Reluctantly, he moved Gen back to his previous position and scooted off the bed. His heart nearly broke when he had to remove Gen’s hand when he unconsciously clutched a part of his tunic to get him to stay put. 

Senku was cleaning the mess of the thermometer when Ryusui and Chrome walked in. There was no doubt in Senku’s mind that the others knew of what happened already. It was only natural they’d start coming to see them one by one. 

“Any change?” Ryusui asked. His arms were folded across his chest, and the look in his eyes told Senku he was antsy for a result. 

“His fever spiked last night.” Both guests deflated a bit. 

“You really ought to sleep a little, Senku.” Chrome said, looking at him weirdly. 

Senku waved his hand in dismissal. “I did.” 

“We can watch him in your place,” Ryusui suggested. 

“No!” Senku yelled, startling the two before he took a deep breath and apologized. “I mean, I appreciate it, but I’d rather it be me.” 

They were silent before nodding. “Alright.” Chrome said.

——————————

It was around early evening of the second day when Gen moaned, and his eyes opened. It just so happened that Senku was on the other side of the hut, trying to get the area warmer when he heard it. A crude whisper of words that had him dropping everything he was doing and practically running back to the bed. Gen’s eyes were half open and glazy like he wasn’t entirely there. Is he delirious? Senku questioned to which he got his answer when Gen started talking.

“Make it seven, then ten. No - listen to me.” _Definitely delirious._ Senku had no idea what he was talking about but figured he’d play along with it anyway. 

“I am listening to you,” Senku said, smiling and stroking his hand over Gen’s cheek. 

Gen shook his head. “I can do both.”

“I know you can.”

“Weakling.” 

Had Senku heard him, right? “What?” 

“I said. it’s no problem for me.” Right. Deliriousness will alter his brain state, making him see and believe different things based on what his senses can calculate from what’s around them and what he’s thinking about. 

Senku sighed. “Of course.” 

“Do 7 and 10.”

“We already are.” Senku patted Gen’s head and rubbed the knuckles on the hand he was holding. “Go back to sleep.”

“But, I’m there.”

“Where?” Senku asked, to which he got no response. “Gen?” He patted Gen’s cheek, but his eyes were closed in a deep sleep again. 

Senku let go and leaned back in his chair. He counted 378 seconds precisely for the whole delirious episode.

It wasn’t hard for Senku to realize that Gen was probably talking about showtimes from his old life back in the modern world. Back then, he wasn’t into the happenings of celebrity life’s, which now had him wondering just how big of a deal Gen was back in their old world. 

The next time he woke up was even worse. Gen was reduced to straight-up mumbling. The words barely made sense at all, and each time, he managed to stay awake for 6-7 minutes before passing out again. It continued on a cycle every four hours until the night was over. He was able to get him up enough to drink some water during one of those moments, but then Gen stayed asleep right after, not even a twitch of movement for the rest of the night. Senku groaned and wiped Gen’s forehead and neck with a towel. He couldn’t tell exactly what his temperature was without the thermometer, but his fever felt like it stayed the same degrees. 

Morning came, and Senku felt like how Gen looked. _Absolutely miserable._ He hated this. He hated how Gen wasn’t awake and talking his ear off. Senku actually missed that. 

Knocking on the door broke him out of his thoughts, and after giving his approval, in came Ryusui, Francois, and Taiju, who was holding two bowls that were steaming at the top. One turned out to be plain broth meant for Gen in case he had woken up, and the other was stew that was meant for Senku to eat. He had forgotten his need to eat a while ago and was grateful for the reminder as he eagerly started eating. 

“How is he?” Ryusui asked for the third time in three days. 

Senku wondered just how many times Ryusui was going to ask that. “No change.” He said between mouthfuls. Taiju patted him on the back with an “it’ll be okay” smile on his face. Senku did what he always did when he saw that expression. _He shrugged off the hand and scowled_ because getting emotional wasn’t something that happened to him. 

Shuffling sounds had Senku turning his attention back to the bed. He was surprised when he saw Francois rearranging the blankets and fluffing up the pillows before removing the bedsheets. How she did that without waking Gen up or needing to move him, Senku didn’t know. It was even more of a spectacle when she put on new bedsheets without needing to move Gen too much at all. He offered to help but was met with stiff resistance from Taiju, who held his shoulder in a firm grip. 

“Not to worry, Senku. Francois always knows what she’s doing.” Ryusui beamed. 

Taiju smiled and successfully pulled Senku back. “Yeah, Senku, let us help a little too.” He added. 

Senku grumbled but continued to eat, letting them do what they wanted. Francois brought in chairs for them to sit on at Ryusui’s request, and suddenly, the four of them were quietly discussing the farm that was profiting and how Francois could teach some villagers how to bake for when they left on their boat journey. 

All of a sudden, Gen lurched on the bed and started harshly coughing. He curled into himself and gripped his clothes so tight they looked like they were about to rip. Senku dropped the bowl on the table and jumped out of his chair. He dumped the contents of a cup that was on the nightstand and placed it against Gen’s back to listen. It wasn’t an easy task, as soon as Senku put the cup near him, Gen ducked forward and away. The coughing still hadn’t stopped, and Senku was afraid he couldn’t breathe. He was scared that the cure he gave him for pneumonia wasn’t working. 

Then Taiju was there, holding Gen down, and Senku was able to get a reading on his lungs. Thank goodness for Taiju’s superhuman agility. Not that Gen would be able to throw him off, even if he were healthy, but the fact that Taiju was able to keep him still was an immense help. Senku drowned out the outside noise and focused on listening to what was going on in Gen’s lungs. He couldn’t hear any fluid, which was a short-lived relief when Gen suddenly started choking on his own coughing and painfully wheezed. 

Senku threw the cup down almost violently and started rubbing Gen’s back and patting him between his shoulder blades. The tension was high, but after _146 seconds,_ Gen’s breathing evened out. 

There was a collective sigh of relief than an uncomfortable silence. Senku was too busy running medicine formulas in his head to notice. It was a bad coughing fit, but _where did it come from?_

“He will get better, Senku,” Taiju spoke up after taking notice of Senku’s grim thinking face. “Your science will help him, so don’t give up!”

“Ha, Taiju? In the years you’ve known me, have I ever given up on something?” Senku smirked for what felt like the first time in a while. “Of course, he’s gonna get better; this science won’t fail.”

“Right?!” Taiju laughed, and Senku had to shush him before eventually just escorting the two louder beings out. Francois followed after Senku thanked her for her help. 

The night passed quietly for once.

——————————

By the morning of the third day, Senku was seriously considering making him an I.V. Gen _still_ hadn’t woken up to the point of being conscious and not delirious at the same time.

Senku sighed as another knocking sound filled his ears. Then Kohaku was opening the door, holding in her arms a bucket of the healing spring water. Senki raised his eyebrows in question. 

“We were able to cart some over in the car.” She explained. “Ukyo gives his sympathies.” 

“Mm.” Senku hummed, going back to staring at Gen.

Kohaku placed her hand on Senku’s back, and Senku flinched from the coldness. “Senku, it won’t do any good to mope around.” 

Senku huffed. “I’m not moping.” 

“Whatever you’re doing then, you can do it when you give him a bath.” Senku looked at the bucket then looked at her. Kohaku sighed. “You said the hot water helped to keep Ruri alive when she had pneumonia.” 

Oh yeah, Ruri had the same thing, didn’t she? Man, that felt so long ago. 

“There are still two more buckets I have to bring in,” Kohaku said, looking towards the door. 

“Thanks,” Senku mumbled though he hoped Kohaku could hear the sincerity. 

“It’s no problem.” 

A small knock on the door had both of them turning to see who it was. There in the doorway was little Suika holding a steaming cup of tea. Senku had already told the others before, not to let her or anyone that was as young as she was inside, in case the pneumonia spread. 

Kohaku smiled and greeted her. Suika held out the cup in her hands for Kohaku to take. “If it makes Suika feel better, then maybe…” She looked towards the bed, uneasiness practically radiating off her. 

“Thank you, Suika.” Senku smiled at her. 

Suika nodded and smiled back before closing the door. 

“Do you need any help?” Kohaku asked after a short silence. 

“No, I’ve got it.” 

Kohaku hummed and walked towards the door before stopping and turning back around. “You know, when it comes to Gen, your personality takes a real turn.”

Now Senku was confused. “Huh?” 

“It’s not bad; in fact, it’s nice to see.” Kohaku looked up in thought before pointing at him. “He makes you act differently.” 

“How?” Senku was taken aback. _He didn’t act differently with Gen around._

“Hmm…” Kohaku smirked before opening the door and moving to walk out. “I’ll let you figure that one out, science user.” Senku groaned. 

After Kohaku brought in the rest of the water, she left Senku to the job of bathing. Getting Gen into the bath was harder than he thought. It didn’t help that Gen was a complete dead weight in his arms, but he was able to manage it, using soap to scrub off the sweat that clung to his skin while simultaneously keeping his head above the water. Once done, he picked him up again and tried toweling him off. It took a lot of effort, but Senku finally managed to get Gen dry, back in his clothes, and into the newly fitted bed sheets. He hadn’t so much as twitched during the whole thing. 

Francois made a small visit by herself to deliver food for him and to get an update on Gen’s condition to inform Ryusui and the others. After she left, Senku was alone again, lifelessly eating the food given to him. It didn’t feel right for Gen to be this still and quiet. He was always doing some grand gesture or trick, waving his arms in time with his voice, being able to weave the minds he saw fit to his own desires. 

Senku looked down when he heard a slight murmuring coming from the bed. Gen was staring at him, and Senku felt his shoulders sag when he looked into the dazed and glassy eyes of the mentalist. _He was still delirious._

“Here I am.” 

“Yes, you are.” Senku sighed. 

“Why?”

“Because you’re an idiot, Go back to sleep.”

“Why won’t he do it?” Gen whined. 

“Why won’t who do it?” Senku asked. He didn’t get an answer. “Gen?” _Had he passed out again?_

“A scientist.” Gen shivered. “I’m cold.”

“You’ve got four blankets.” Senku countered. 

“Need scientist.” Gen was twisting in the bed now, which had Senku trying to get him to stay still. “Scientist makes things. Better things.” He stopped moving, as a dopey grin washed over Gen’s face. “Scientist makes me warm.” 

Senku was amazed. This was the most lucid Gen had ever been, yet he was still delirious as hell. 

It didn’t take Senku’s genius brain to tell him that Gen was talking about him; the scientist. “Just lay down, the scientist is here.” 

“Where?” Gen groaned, his eyes were screwed shut. 

_Come back to me, and I’ll show you._ “He’s right here, Gen, please go back to sleep.”

“I like the scientist.” Gen suddenly giggled. 

Senku couldn’t help the smile on his face if he tried. “Do you?” He asked. 

Gen shook his head, harshly. “No.” The smile dropped. 

“I love the scientist.” Senku very nearly fell out of his chair, feeling his own cheeks redden. “He won’t do it.” Gen yawned, and Senku knew he wasn’t going to be up for much longer. “Stubborn.” He mumbled. 

“Wo — won’t do what, Gen?” Senku was stuttering. 

“Say it.” Gen held his own hands together before clapping them. “Say it.” He repeated before getting a confused look. “He doesn’t say it?” He questioned himself. 

“Say what, Gen?” _Okay, this was getting bad._ “What am I supposed to say?” Senku was desperate for an answer now. 

“I love you.” Gen smiled and started reaching out his hand towards him. “Senku,” Gen muttered out before his eyes rolled back, and he was out cold again. His hand dropped and hung lifelessly off the side of the bed. 

Senku slumped in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. _Did Gen just confess to him?_

But he was delirious... Did he mean it? 

On the one hand, Senku felt oddly happy at the declaration, which only made him more confused. Then Senku thought back to Kohaku’s early conversation with him, and Senku found himself audibly groaning. 

Falling in love was a simple set of chemicals the brain produced. In other words, _science!_

_First, adrenaline is released when you are around that person, and you feel oddly excited._ It wasn’t something Senku questioned, but he did recall many times when he was struggling with brainstorming or building when Gen suddenly appeared before him, and he had more energy. 

_Second, the brain produces much more testosterone, which boosts your attraction for the other person._ He hated to admit it, but there were times when Senku had to leave their shared hut quickly when Gen would get ready for the day. Not because it would mean that he would have to watch Gen dress but because he wouldn’t stop staring with a flush to his cheeks if he did. 

_Third, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin are released into your body, which makes you “feel good.”_ Senku wasn’t even about to think about how different he felt when Gen first arrived back in Ishigami village. How Senku was excited that another modern person was in the science kingdom or how fast he was to trust Gen with his abilities to save face. Back then, Senku was absolutely giddy when Gen suggested an alliance and had to really focus not to stupidly grin when he announced that Gen was going back to Tsukasa to lie and save his butt. 

_Fourth, vasopressin is released as the “you are in love,” bonding hormone. It significantly boosts your desire to stay with the selected individual you have fallen in love with and creates an emotional attachment which triggers needs to protect that person from whatever could happen._ Senku dumbly looked around their shared hut, then his haggard expression in their mirror. 

_Crap._ Senku was in love with Gen.

——————————

It was late evening when Gen’s expression took on a more peaceful look, and Senku nearly jumped for joy when he realized that Gen’s fever had finally started going down. The night passed without incident. He was even able to get some sleep in too. The next day, Senku felt a lot lighter now that Gen was getting better. Without hesitation, he linked one of his hands in his own and held it tightly. He would definitely see that Gen got over this.

Now that he also knew that his previously unknown feelings towards Gen were reciprocated, Senku couldn’t help but feel more - _relieved? Happy?_ The dopamine in his brain was definitely the cause of this. Senku oddly accepted it. It wasn’t like he could stop something his brain was doing on its own, right? 

He was wiping Gen’s forehead with a cloth when he felt something. He thought he felt a twitch in the hand, Senku was holding, but when nothing else happened, he shifted closer and sighed. He placed a bag of ice on top of Gen’s head that he’d been using to get his fever down. Then the hand he was holding suddenly gripped his tightly, and Senku was flying out of his chair.

“Gen?” 

Senku watched in pure relief when Gen slowly peeled his eyes open and looked at him with more clarity than ever. The smile on Senku’s face was automatic; he couldn’t help it; he was just so happy. 

Gen’s eyes opened more, and Senku found himself relaxing more and more as well. Senku laughed though it sounded strained from his exhaustion. 

“So, the mentalist finally wakes up then?”

——————————

It was evening now. After everyone had visited, Senku shuffled into bed with Gen at his side. He was tired after four days of constant worry and little sleep, but his body wouldn’t drop off just yet.

Gen wasn’t contagious anymore. He was able to determine that the bacteria strain had already left his body, which was why they had allowed Suika inside and let her sit on top of the bed. Then Senku’s mind flitted back to Gen’s last delirious conversation with him and his discovery. 

“Hey, Gen?” Senku nudged Gen’s shoulder a little and felt relieved when Gen stirred. 

“Wh -- what?” Gen tiredly mumbled. 

Senku brushed a hand over Gen’s petrification scar. “I need to tell you something.”

“Okay.” 

Senku took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Asagiri Gen, I love you too.” 

When Gen didn’t respond, Senku opened his eyes and was met with the brightest smile he’d ever seen on Gen’s face, despite being asleep again. 

Senku laughed at the cuteness before pulling the blankets up further and falling asleep to the sound of the wind blowing outside and the warmth of his mentalist beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this is long. Without a due date to post this, I really went overboard... Oh well. 
> 
> Here's the second chapter, that includes what Gen had said when he was delirious and an extra little "discovery" made by Senku. :D
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it and thank you for making it this far!

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, I'm thinking of adding an extra scene to this later as like a small second chapter. I didn't really touch on the others reactions nor did I go into detail about the days that Gen was unconscious so I'm going to add that as a little "extra" bit. It should be on the way soon! 
> 
> Thanks for reading this far and I hope you liked it!


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